Paracoccus ficus Moghaddam

MOGHADDAM, MASUMEH & WATSON, GILLIAN W., 2022, The Scale Insects Of Iran (Hemiptera: Coccomorpha) Part 2 The Mealybugs (Pseudococcidae And Rhizoecidae) And Putoidae, Zootaxa 5126 (1), pp. 1-169 : 74-76

Paracoccus ficus Moghaddam

( Fig. 29 , Plate 1 H , distribution map Fig. 68 D )

Paracoccus ficus Moghaddam in Moghaddam & Esfandiari, 2014: 58.

Field characteristics: Live specimens, those preserved in alcohol and even those soaked in KOH appear dull white.

Microscopic diagnosis: Slide-mounted adult female oval to broadly oval. Anal lobes moderately developed, each with a complete ventral anal lobe bar. Antennae each with 8 segments. Legs well developed. Hind leg with translucent pores on ventral surface of coxa and on dorsal surfaces of femur and tibia; tarsal digitules pointed at tip and longer than claw. Cerarii distinct, numbering 18 pairs. Anal lobe cerarii each containing 2 conical setae, 2 auxiliary setae and a compact group of trilocular pores, all situated on a membranous area. Anterior cerarii all without auxiliary setae, each with 2 short conical setae and normally 3–5 trilocular pores; but cerarii on head different, each containing 2 setae and normally 5–9 trilocular pores; C 3 often containing 3 conical setae. Circulus present, divided by an intersegmental line. Ostioles well developed.

Dorsum with long, stiff setae. Multilocular disc pores absent. Trilocular pores evenly dispersed. Discoidal pores scattered. Oral rim ducts present singly near most abdominal cerarii except for anal lobe cerarius; others distributed singly in submedian areas of meso- and metathoracic segments; oral rim ducts absent from midline.

Venter with flagellate setae. Multilocular disc pores each with 10 loculi, present in double rows at posterior edges of abdominal segments IV – VII and posterior to vulva, reaching to margins; others occurring at anterior edges of segments V – VII, a few present singly across median area of segment III and on margins of segments II and III, and near to anterior and posterior spiracular openings. Trilocular pores evenly dispersed. Discoidal pores scattered. Oral rim ducts absent. Oral collar tubular ducts of 2 sizes: a larger type, present at posterior edges of posterior abdominal segments, singly on margins of thorax and on margins of anterior abdominal segments, apparently absent from head; and a smaller type distributed across middle of most abdominal segments, often reaching to margins or submargins, also 1 or 2 located medially on thorax .

Distribution: Paracoccus ficus is known only from Iran, Fars province ( Moghaddam & Esfandiari 2014).

Host-plants: The species has been recorded on Ficus carica (Moraceae) ( Moghaddam & Esfandiari 2014).

Economic importance: The mealybug is a pest on F. carica in Neyriz and Estahban in Fars province ( Moghaddam & Esfandiari 2014). Ficus carica is one of the chief exports of Fars province to neighboring countries.

Natural enemies: None recorded.

Comments: The accompanying illustration is reproduced from Moghaddam & Esfandiari (2014), page 60, Fig. 1 , with kind permission from the Editor of Journal of the Entomological Society of Iran.

Genus PELIOCOCCOPSIS Borchsenius

Peliococcopsis Borchsenius, 1948a: 954 . Type species: Phenacoccus caucasicus Borchsenius by original designation.

Principal characters: Slide-mounted adult female elongate oval. Anal lobe distinct, with well developed apical and subapical setae. Antennae each with 9 segments, all the segments slender, the apical being longest. Hind legs usually without translucent pores; claw with a small denticle. Cerarii numbering 18 pairs or fewer. Circulus absent. Both ostioles developed. Trilocular, quinquelocular and multilocular pores present on both dorsal and ventral surfaces. Oral collar tubular ducts present in 2 sizes. Anal ring with 1 or 2 outer rows and 1 inner row of pores.

Comments: Worldwide, two species are included in Peliococcopsis ( García Morales et al. 2016) ; one species is known from Iran ( Moghaddam 2006).

Figures

PLATE 1. A, B. Ceroputo pilosellae Šulc; C, D. Dysmicoccus angustifrons (Hall); E. Erimococcus kimmericus

FIGURE 1. Generalised morphology of an adult female mealybug (including two types of ceroris, a structure found only in the family Rhizoecidae). © The Trustees of the Natural History Museum, London, U.K.

FIGURE 29. Adult female of Paracoccus ficus Moghaddam.

FIGURE 68. Maps of species distributions in Iran. A. Mirococcus inermis (Hall); B. Nipaecoccus viridis (Newstead); C. Paracoccus burnerae (Brain); D. Paracoccus ficus Moghaddam; E. Peliococcopsis priesneri (Laing); F. Peliococcus chersonensis (Kiritshenko); G. Peliococcus marrubii (Kiritshenko); H. Peliococcus turanicus (Kiritshenko); I. Pelionella grassiana (Goux); J. Phenacoccus aceris (Signoret); K. Phenacoccus arthrophyti Archangelskaya; L. Phenacoccus betae Moghaddam.